Stephen Wrinkle
Former President of the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) Stephen Wrinkle said the Bahamian contractors previously engaged on the Baha Mar project should have a representative on the committee that was recently established to administer the claims of Bahamians and other creditors of the Baha Mar group of companies.
Meanwhile, his successor has taken a different position, asserting that the association shouldn't stick its nose into "a private business arrangement".
The committee is a part of the agreement between the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) and the government to remobilize and complete construction of the $3.5 billion Baha Mar resort.
The BCA is collectively owed nearly $80 million for work performed on the project.
Over the weekend, the government announced that it hopes Bahamian employee claims will be settled no later than September 30, 2016 and that all other claims will be dealt with on or before December 31, 2016.
The government added, "Further announcements on the specific details of the process will come from the committee".
The committee includes representatives of the government, CEXIM Bank, receiver Deloitte, and China Construction America (CCA).
Wrinkle told Guardian Business yesterday, "I think it would have been the right thing to have some representation for the Bahamian contractors... Quite clearly they should be represented."
Both Wrinkle and current BCA President Leonard Sands have said despite few details publicized about the deal, the remobilization of Baha Mar is ultimately a good move.
Wrinkle said, "I think under the circumstances that it is imperative that we get some settlement going and we get it completed and open."
Sands also spoke with Guardian Business yesterday on whether or not Bahamian contractors should have a representative on the committee.
Sands said "it was a private business arrangement" and "we can't stick our nose in that".
"We could obviously say we would like to be a part of that, to say we are looking out for the best interests of our members, but at the same time our members would obviously have their own advice and their own counsel and their own accountant, and that wouldn't have come before us anyway.
"We were involved in the matter only because the complaints were brought to us seeing that we represent the industry and those are our members. We were never brought into any of the finance details of any of matters," said Sands.
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